Water-driven machine



P. 0. FELT.

-WATER DRIVEN MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I9. 1920.

Patentedl Dec. 21, 1920.

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`P. o. FELT* WATER DRIVEN MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I9, I920.

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INI/MTU@ PETE/E17, FELT E I/ 4 N135 H TTI/'5 45 spindle.

'UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER OLOF FELT, F IVIORTLACII, SASKATCHEW'AN,V CANADA.

VATER-DRIVEN TEACH-TINE.

Application led January 19, 1920.

water driven machines, and the objects of the invention are to facilitate utilizing the flow of water in streams, rivers, etc., and more particularly the surface flow and flow adjacent to the surface, so that power may thus be recovered from shallow rivers and streams, to provide means whereby the adjustmentof the several parts of the machine may be readily made, to render the said parts readily accessible for inspection and repair, and generally to so construct the ma chine that the several parts are better adapted to perform the functions required of them.

With the above and other objects in view,

i which will be made clear hereafter as the specification develops, the invention consists essentially of the improved construction particularly described and set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings forming part of the same.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the vanes and chains removed and showing the shafts of the machine showing the chain tensioningl and guiding means in detail.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse section of the means for supporting the tensioning Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the vanes showing the means for mounting the same on a carriage which is attached to actuating chains.

Fig. '8 is a perspective view of a bracket for securing a vane to the carriage.

Fig. 9 is a transverse section showing the means for mounting the rollers on the carriage.

l0 is a fragmentary plan view of a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

Serial No. 352,295.

chain showing the means for securing the same to the transverse bar of a carriage.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings; A represents the improved water driven machine comprising a frame 10 which is formed of two side members 11 constructed of lattice or girder work, the said members being connected by transversely extending rods 12 which'support the sides in spaced relation.

Each side memberV 11 carries a plate 13 rigidly attached thereto and adjacent to the ends thereof, and these plates are provided with guide members 14k arranged in alinement and in which the bearings 15 are slidably mounted.

The bearings 15 rotatably support the transversely extending shafts 16 carrying sprocket wheels 17 which are located adjacent to the ends of the frame 10, and chains 18 engage with the sprocket wheels.

These chains carry transversely extending vanes 19 which are rigidly connected to brackets 20, so that the vanes are angularly disposed, and these brackets are formed with tongues 21 which embrace the vertical arm of the angle shaped members 22.

There are two angle shaped `members utilized to support each vane, and these members are held in spaced relation by a transversely extending bar 23 which is connected to the chains 18.

On each end of the angle members 22 a bearing 24 is located and carries a pin 25 on which the rollers 26 are rotatably mounted. Each pin 25 has an enlarged outer end which abuts the angle member 22 and the outer end of the pin is formed with an annular flange 27.

The rollers 26 are recessed as shown at 28 to accommodate the iianges 27, and between the inner end of the recess and the said flanges packing- 29 may be located which is renewable` anda broad bearing surface is thus obtained between the pin 2 5 and the rollers 26 without the objections vof having a projecting end which would be liable to foul with any foreign' matterv in a stream or river.

The angle members 22, transverse bar 23, rollers, etc., constitute a carriage so that eachY vane is carried by a carriage, which are connected by chains 18 and eeuidistantly spaced from each other, Yso that' an even torque will be given to the shafts 16, as will be hereinafter more particularly eX- plained.

lt is advisable that that portion of the chain located between the sprockets should be supported and prevented from sagging and that a proper guide means should be provided for the carriage, and to this end l provide an adjustable guide frame C which coacts with the roller 26.

There are two guide frames, one supported by each side member 11 of the frame 10, and each guide frame consists of a pair of longitudinally extending` bars 30 arranged in parallelism and provided with adjustable semi-circular ends 31 which are lap-jointed with the bars 30. The bars 30 are provided with slots 32 in the ends and bolts 33 adjustably connecting the semicircular ends 31 to the bars 30, the semi-circular ends being capable of being moved in a longitudinal direction.

The semi-circular ends 31 are supported by angle members 34 which are provided with slots 35, designed to be engaged by bolts 36, and when the semi-circular ends'31 have been positioned to adjust the guide frame C to the desired size, then the bolts 36 are tightened thus making the guide frame C rigid relatively to the side member 11 on the frame 10.

During the movement of the chains 18,`

the roller 26 of the carriage supporting the vanes 19, make rolling engagement with the guide frame C, and thus hold the vanes in proper spaced relation relatively to each other, and in the manner best calculated to obtain a'maximum efficiency in the machine.

When adjusting the guide frame C it is also' necessary'to adjust the tension of the,

chains 18, and to this end I provide tension spindles 37 which pass through lugs 38 on the semi-circular ends 31, and each spindle makes threaded engagement at one end' with a bearing 15, while the other end is journaled in a transversely extending bar 39 supported between the side plate 13 and the adjacent curvilinear end 31.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 5 that a plurality of orifices 40 are provided in the plate 13, and this permits of the pin 41 being engaged with any of the said orifices, so that as the semi-circular end 31 is moved longitudinally, the bar 39 will be'rigidly secured to the plate 13 by the pin 41. f

The spindle 37 is provided with a hand Vwheel 42 which may be manually rotated, and during such rotation the bearing 15 will be moved longitudinally and so space the shafts 16 apart, and thus the chains 18 are tensioned. Y y

By reference to Fig. 1 it will be noticed that if the vanes move in an anti-clockwise l direction then on ypassing around the curvicarrying the vanes 19 are inclined to be swung slightly outward due to gravity and centrifugal force, so that one pair of rollers of each carriage will become disengaged from the guide frame C, and, to limit this action of the carriage and prevent undue stress being exerted on the chains 18, curvi linear guides 43 are provided spaced from the curvilinear ends 31.

One set of rollers 26 of each carriage will engage with these guide members 43 as the vanes pass around the ends of the frame C.

lt will also be noticed in Figs. 1 and 2 that when the lower vanes are acted on by a flow of water in a stream there will vbe a tendency to rotate the carriages, so that the rear pair of rollers 26 will become disengaged from the lower longitudinal bar 30 of the frame C, and to hold the carriages in the proper position a guide 44 is provided having offset ends 45.

rllhe curvilinear guide 43 also has offset ends 46, so that the engagement of the roller with the curvilinear guide 43 and the lower guide 44 will not be violent, that is to say, the action will be such that the friction will not be excessive.

When the machine is in use it is partially submerged in a stream with the lower set of vanes in contact with the water and the surface flow of water impacts in the vanes, and the lower set of vanes will thus be moved longitudinally transmitting rotary motion to the chains 18, which in turnrotate the sprockets 17 and the shafts 16 supporting the same.

rihe power developed on the shafts 16 may be transmitted by any suitable form of pulley and belt mechanism for driving machine.

lt will thus be evident that this machine can be used in shallow rivers or streams in which there is a good surface velocity flow, and the power developed is readily recov* cred and converted into a usable form.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many widely dierent embodiments of my invention within the scope of the claims, constructed without de partingfrom the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

That I claim as my invention is:

1. A machine-of the class described, comprising side frames, shafts rotatably supported by the side frames, sprockets on the shafts, chains engaging with the sprockets, transversely extending vanes operated by the chains, a guide frame having adjustable ends adapted to hold the chains against sagging, a transverse bar on the adjustable ends, a pin on the bar engaging one of the side .frames,,a Vtension screw coactingI with the bar and controlling the -longitudinal movement of the sprockets, and means for adjusting the guide frame.

2. A machine or' the class described comprising side frames held in spaced relation, a guide frame comprising longitudinal bars arranged in parallelism with adjustable end members, sprockets rotatably supported on the side frames in spaced relation, chains engaging with the sprockets and held against sagging by the guide frames, and vanes opl0 erated by the chains.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

PETER OLOF FELT` Witnesses:

H. M. GOODWIN, VALTER BENNETT. 

